The Particle へ
The particle へ, pronounced as “e” despite being written with the kana glyph for “he,” is essentially interchangeable with the particle に for its single usage in Modern Japanese, but its interchangeability is heavily stilted in favor of に.
The reason for why this particle is written with へ instead of え is because it actually comes from the noun 辺（へ）1, which is a noun that means “location/area” in compounds like in the words below.
| Word | Etymology |
| Mae 前 (Forward) | Ma– 目 (eye) + pe 辺 |
| Yukue 行方 (Whereabouts) | Yuku 行く (to go) + pe 辺 |
| Uwabe 上辺 (Exterior) | Uwa– 上 (above) + pe 辺 |
| Mizube 水辺 (Waterfront) | Mizu 水 (water) + pe 辺 |
The original pronunciation of 辺 was /pe/. In some words, the /p/ was dropped, and in others, it became voiced as [b]. Of course, as a particle, the initial consonant was dropped entirely.
The Case Particle へ
へ indicates movement to somewhere (far) away from where the subject currently is. For the most part, it is interchangeable with に. However, it must not be used to replace に for any other usage than movement!
へ is most associated with extravagant distances, or at least movement away from where the subject currently is, but this is not an absolute as some speakers prefer it to sound less direct/more formal. Most importantly, as a grammatical rule, へ must never be replaced by に before the particle の.
1. 私は大阪へ行きます。
I’m going to Osaka.
2. 私は明日徳島へ行きます。
I will go to Tokushima tomorrow.
If the particle に were used instead of へ in Exs. 1-2, the speaker would be implying that the stated location is their destination, whereas へ may imply that the locale in question is in the direction of where off they are heading.
3. 神戸へ船を見に行きました。
I went to Kobe to see the boats.
The に in Ex. 3 cannot be interchanged with へ, as only に can follow the continuative form (連用形) of a verb.
4. 彼女はドアのところへ走って行った。
She ran to the door.
5. よく中国へ行きますか。
Do you often go to China?
6. 食堂へ行きませんか。
Why don’t we go to the restaurant?
7. 左へ曲がってください。
Please turn to the left.
8. 生徒が机の上｛に 〇・へ △｝教科書を置いた。
The student/pupil placed a textbook on top of the desk.
The particle へ is unnatural in Ex. 8 because に is most appropriate when referring to movement of an object to a finite spot, especially one that is not far away which is the case for the desk. However, some speakers will use へ in an attempt to sound more indirect/formal.
9. 学校【に ◎・へ 〇】行く途中だ。
I’m on my way to school.
Sentence Note: Some students have a long ways to get to school, but with school clearly being the ultimate destination regardless of where else they may go prior to making it to school, に still happens to be more natural.
10. 北朝鮮から始まる平和【への 〇・にの X】歩みを歓迎し、対話の継続を望んでおります。
(We) welcome steps towards peace to be made by North Korea, and we are hoping that dialogue may continue.
11. 寿司屋へ行きました。
I went to a sushi restaurant.
12a. よくこの居酒屋へ来るんですか。X
12b. よくこの居酒屋に来るんですか。〇
Do you often come to this pub?
Word Note: An 居酒屋 is a Japanese style pub where you can order a wide variety of foods and drinks for a low cost. They often have times or special deals for 飲み放題 (all you can drink) and 食べ放題 (all you can eat).
へ always implies going off somewhere, so it is unnatural to refer to the addressee arriving at Point A.
13. 彼は間もなくここへ来ます。
He will be here shortly.
Nuance Note: Ex. 13 may imply that “he” is coming from far away, and since he is not there yet, the particle へ can be used in conjunction with the verb 来る.
14. ここへ座って話を聴いてください。△
Come and sit down here and listen.
Although originally へ should not be used to refer to arriving at Point A, in this situation, the speaker is purposely trying to be more polite by coaxing the listener over. The expectation is not necessarily that the listener sits right next to them, which is why the sentence is not marked as ungrammatical.
15. 去年イギリス（へ）行きました。オランダ（へ）も行きました。
Last year, I went to England. I also went to Holland.
へ is often deleted in casual speech as is the case with に. This is even more likely to occur when it is followed by the particle も.
16. ニューヨークを発ってシドニーへ向かいました。
I left New York for Sydney.
17. 東京へ出張します。
I will take a business trip to Tokyo.
Culture Note: Presenting business cards, 名刺, is extremely important to business etiquette. You should present your card with both hands and take it out of a business card box, and you are to receive the other person’s card, read it, and say 頂戴します. When exchanging cards with someone of higher status, you should make sure yours is below the other. You should place business cards in the back of your leather case, and if you are at a table, wait until the meeting is over before putting it in. Do not write on, damage, or fold business cards, at least not in front of the person.
18a. 日本へ帰りたいです。（△）
18b. 日本に戻りたいです。◎
18c. 日本【へ・に】また行きたいです。◎
18ab. I want to return to Japan.
18c. I want to go to Japan.
Culture Note: 帰る from a cultural standpoint refers to returning to where one belongs (=one’s home). If that is how Japan feels to you, 18a would not be incorrect, but if that perception is not there or not understood to be of that nature to the listener, a native speaker would correct you with either 18b or 18c.
19a. 前へ進もう！
Let’s move forward!
19b. 前に進もう！
Let’s move to the front!
When specifically indicating a movement/event that is unfolding with a sense of outward directionality like in Ex. 19a, it would be unnatural to use に. As such, you will heavily encounter へ in such contexts, which are incidentally common in campaign-oriented language.
The Combination Particle へと
The combination particle へと is a much stronger variant that emphasizes direction. You will see this mainly in music and literature. It is almost completely interchangeable with the simpler へ, though it cannot be used before the particle の.
20. 兵士は川辺に降りたら、すぐさま服を脱いで川へと飛び込んで逃げて行った。
When the soldier got down to the riverbank, he immediately stripped off his clothes, dove into the river, and escaped (into the distance).
21. 未来へと走れ。
Run toward the future.
- Not to be confused with the synonymous Sino-Japanese 辺（へん） written with the same kanji. ↩︎